


Heavy Armor

by UndeservingHero



Series: The Heavy [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2781617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndeservingHero/pseuds/UndeservingHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War was easy. Saving the world was easy. Dealing with the consequences of her actions wasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heavy Armor

**Author's Note:**

> Dontacronus thinks parts of a series are just glorified extra chapters. In this case, possibly.

The armorer grew amused with how often the Inquisitor came to see him in the months that followed Corypheus's defeat. It seemed like every other day she was in the Undercroft getting her armor refitted to cradle her growing belly. The thought that she would be forced to give it up in the last few months of her pregnancy seemed to infuriate her.

He knew it would be useless to tell her before it happened, so he kept adding panels of leather that he knew he would be able to remove later.

The whole of the Inquisition watched over her and made sure she was well taken care of and never had to do any sort of labor. Which only served to shorten her temper. In her clan, even pregnant women were expected to provide their services to a point.

Visiting dignitaries were often surprised to find her in her armor as word of the child had spread almost instantaneously.

Leliana and Josephine might have helped with that particular piece of news.

They didn't find her as threatening as they would have had she been battle ready until she put her wit and intelligence into play at the war table or on her throne.

Once they'd had a moment with her, they'd never questioned why her reputation preceded her.

***

When the day finally came that even her best couldn't help her, Cullen found her in their suite, papers and books tossed about in a fit of wrath and she was sitting dejectedly in sullen silence against the foot of the bed. She was wearing one of his tunics again because that was all she could fit in anymore, other than the leggings she'd gotten from Belle.

He looked around them and shook his head. "Well, do you feel better at least?" he asked, picking his way towards her.

She glared at him in answer as he lowered himself to sit beside her.

"I'll take that as a no." He tucked her under his arm and kissed her hair. "What's wrong?"

"I'm too bloody big for my armor anymore. I'm about as intimidating as a child with a wooden sword, and I feel as cumbersome as a druffalo." She did lean against him though and sighed.

He smiled despite himself. "I'm sorry, my love."

He rose, his knees popping in protest. "Come on. I have a bit of a surprise for you." He helped her up. "And a rather well timed one at that."

He made her sit in her chair while he gathered up her papers and books again and stacked them on her desk.

"What sort of surprise?" she finally asked, one hand rubbing over her belly.

He paused and smiled. "You'll see shortly."

She huffed but stayed quiet as he finished picking up the remains of her tantrum.

He told her to stay where she was and went back down the stairs and presumably returned to the hall to retrieve her surprise, whatever it may be.

Long moments followed but finally she heard rustling and voices. She sat up straight in her chair with as much dignity as she could muster while wearing Cullen’s clothes and waited.

Moments later a man and five women came up the stairs, all carrying cloth and a large wooden case. The man dumped his load on her bed and came to her with a grin, laying a kiss solidly on her mouth before even introducing himself. "Inquisitor! I have heard so much about you. I am Monsignor Brodeur."

She tried to pull her composure back from some long forgotten corner and managed only by a small margin as she said, "Welcome to Skyhold, Monsignor. Forgive me that I do not get up to greet you."

He waved a silken gloved hand. "Bah! You are heavy with child. I do not expect the leader of our fine world get up for the likes of a lowly tailor such as myself."

"You're a tailor...?" Her eyes slid over to Cullen who was sitting on one of the chairs in front of the hearth, smiling at her.

"Yes, madame. Monsignor Cullen hired me to ride here from Orlais as soon as I got word. This is a chance I could not pass up." He straightened and whirled away. "Ah but to have the Inquisitor wearing my clothes!"

Her eyes hadn't left Cullen though. He was still watching her as well, the small smile touching his mouth.

Brodeur was still talking and she forced her attention away from Cullen to listen.

"I will make you the finest clothes this old castle has ever seen, Inquisitor. I can promise you that."

She smiled. "I believe you, Monsignor."

He held a hand out to her. "I would ask you to rise for me now, madame. Please, so we may begin."

She took his hand and let him help her up before standing near the foot of her bed.

***

Hours were spent measuring and fixing and sewing and talking as a wardrobe began to pull itself together under Monsignor Brodeur's hands.

Cullen was called away early on to handle some business that she usually would have dealt with, but between her visitor and her condition all she could do was advise him on how to get it done.

After long hours and not a few times where she'd had to sit down for a moment, seven gowns and a few night shifts were laid out over their bed.

She thanked Brodeur for being so patient with her and invited him to stay at Skyhold as long as he wished.

When he and his seamstresses departed, she looked down at all of the fine gowns Cullen had invested in and the corners of her eyes pricked lightly at his thoughtfulness. Despite his thoughts to the contrary, he was actually becoming quite good at playing her husband.

She folded and carefully put away all but one of the gowns into her coffer.

It was a bit more difficult to get into by herself but she managed it, clasping a metal chainlink belt right under her breasts like Brodeur had shown her to draw the gown's folds to highlight her belly instead of trying to hide it behind her armor.

Josephine had insisted months ago on giving her a gift to celebrate her successful Inquisition while simultaneously giving her a symbol of the office she held. As so far, she had yet to wear it, but tonight she felt like she could really settle into who they needed now instead of  just another soldier.

***

The hall was coming together for the evening meal when Cullen came back into the keep. It was cool in the hall and that was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day.

He walked over to a small girl that was helping her mother set out mugs for the meal. "Excuse me. The Inquisitor was held by business in our rooms when I left. Has she come down yet."

The girl shook her head. "No, Commander. Nobody has seen her all day."

He nodded and thought a moment. "Would you go get her for me? She may have very well forgotten to eat today and I would see her fed."

She nodded and took off in the direction of their rooms while he asked if he could help in the girl's place, surprising her mother.

"You have no need to do that, Commander," she assured.

He shrugged. "I want to."

She shook her head but handed him more of the mugs and told him where to put them.

The girl returned to stand near the throne and cleared her throat before saying in her loudest speaking voice, "I would like to present, Her Eminence, the Inquisitor Lavellan."

Everyone in the hall paused at the unusual show of formality and would see why the sudden change.

The door was still open from where the girl had left it and the Inquisitor stepped out of it with her head held high. Silk swirled around her in a rush of deep green and made her look more feminine than Cullen had ever seen her. He stood up straight to watch her as she walked with careful grace instead of her usual purposeful gate to stand before her throne.

He noticed something else beside her gown that had changed. On her brow rested a golden circlet. He knew of it but he'd never seen it. The seeing eye of the Inquisition sat in the middle of her forehead while chains draped gracefully over her brow. It gave her a regal air she had been missing. Until that moment, she had been a soldier, just another part of the Inquisition.

As she sank into her throne, she truly became the Inquisitor.

Cullen was the first to move, striding up the hall to stand before her throne at the bottom of the rise where it sat.

Before, he had bowed to no one. As a templar he had owed his allegiance to Andraste and no one else. Now, he lowered himself to a knee and bowed before her.

Behind him, the hall shifted and knelt as one, giving her their loyalty for a second time. The battle cry of the Inquisition went up and had she not been her current set of mind, she might have cried.

Cullen rose when she lifted a hand to him and went to her to take it, bowing over it to place a kiss there. His eyes met hers and he spoke softly. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”

She smiled and squeezed his fingers. “Because of you,” she said.

The gathered crowd had settled and returned to preparing for the coming meal.

She used his help to rise and walked with him to their usual place at one of the tables to the sides of the hall. Just because she had taken the official seat after putting it off for so long didn’t mean she was going to forget where they’d come from. She was still a soldier in her heart and that wouldn’t change no matter how much silk she wore so she would continue to take her meals with them.

Cullen saw her to her chair and sat beside her, taking her hand under the table. He knew there were nobles in Skyhold from as far away as Antiva and he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of them.

 

 


End file.
